Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Horn of Africa: EU Immigration

Lord Chidgey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has commissioned any research into migration to the EU from Horn of Africa nations, in the UK's role as the Chair of the Khartoum Process.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: In response to the migration crisis, the Government is building its evidence base on the drivers and trends in migration flows. We are working with partners, including through the Khartoum Process, to obtain a more systematic quantitative and qualitative data on flows and drivers of migration in source, transit and destination countries.The UK is funding data analysis and evidence review work by the International Organization for Migration and the Open Data Institute on migration into the EU through the central Mediterranean route. The UK has also funded work for research into criminal networks facilitating human trafficking and smuggling in the Horn of Africa.

Ethiopia: Human Rights

Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of whether the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission is a credible body to investigate human rights violations committed by the Ethiopian security forces in their response to the Oromo protests.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The British Government remains deeply concerned about the handling of demonstrations in Oromia and the reported deaths of a number of protestors, and has repeatedly made representations to the Ethiopian Government over the ongoing situation in Oromia. We will continue to monitor the situation closely and raise our concerns with the Ethiopian Government, including on the use of force. The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has been appointed to look into the handling of the protests in Oromia. We will not pre-judge the outcome of their investigation and we await the publication of their report. We will continue to urge the EHRC and the Government of Ethiopia to ensure that their report is credible, transparent and leads to concrete action. We will take a view on what further lobbying, if any might be appropriate following the publication of the EHRC report.

Ethiopia: Human Rights

Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to support a statement on Ethiopia at the June session of the UN Human Rights Council, in the light of the government of Ethiopia's response to the Oromo protests.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We remain deeply concerned about the handling of demonstrations in Oromia and the reported deaths of a number of protestors. We have repeatedly made representations to the Ethiopian government over the ongoing situation in that region. We will consider the merits of a statement, with likeminded countries, on Ethiopia’s response to the Oromo protests at the UN Human Rights Council in June.

Ethiopia: Human Rights

Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead: To ask Her Majesty’s Government why Ethiopia was not classified as a priority country in the FCO's recent report on human rights and democracy, in the light of the government of Ethiopia's response to the Oromo protests.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: Any list of priorities has to be limited. Our concept of Human Rights Priority Countries is not intended to an exhaustive list of trouble spots. Nor is it a homogenous group. We have chosen to focus on 30 countries where we judge the UK can make a real difference on human rights over the duration of this Parliament. Our concerns are not limited to those countries; our interests are global. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s Annual Report on Human Rights and Democracy highlights specific human rights issues, which we are keen to work on with other countries to address. We have consistently expressed our concern at the human rights situation in Ethiopia, and have made representations specifically in response to the Oromo protests. We remain deeply concerned about the handling of demonstrations in Oromia and the reported deaths of a number of protestors, and have repeatedly made representations to the Ethiopian government over the ongoing situation in that region. The Secretary of State for International Development, the Rt Hon. Member for Putney (Justine Greening), raised our concerns with Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn on 21 January. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Hon. Friend the Member for Rochford and Southend East (James Duddridge), raised our concerns with the Ethiopian Foreign Minister, Dr Tedros, at the African Union Summit in Addis Ababa on 27 January. Our Ambassador to Ethiopia also raised the issue with Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn on 26 April. We will continue to monitor the situation closely and raise our concerns with the Ethiopian government, including on the use of force. We will continue to work with our partners, including the US, in urging the Ethiopian government to use restraint in their handling of the protests in Oromia.

Horn of Africa: EU Immigration

The Earl of Sandwich: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what international safeguards and oversight mechanisms will be in place throughout the implementation of the Khartoum Process to prevent trafficking and bribery, and to ensure that human rights are respected.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The Rome Declaration launching the Khartoum Process and the Valletta Summit Political Declaration both make clear that all participants should work to combat people trafficking and smuggling with full respect for human rights. The UK will continue to work closely with partners to ensure that all work supported under the Khartoum Process is fully human rights compliant.While helping the countries of the Horn of Africa cope with migratory flows and tackling the root causes of migration is firmly in the UK's interests, we remain mindful of the broader humanitarian and political concerns regarding countries in that region.

Ethiopia: Human Rights

Lord Judd: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made, bilaterally and multilaterally, to the government of Ethiopia about the case of Bekel Gerba, deputy chairman of the Oromo Federalist Congress, and 21 others, recently charged under the counter-terrorism law.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We remain deeply concerned about the handling of demonstrations in Oromia and the reported deaths of a number of protestors. We have repeatedly made representations to the Ethiopian government, including Prime Minister Desalegn, over the situation in that region. We also have concerns about those detained under the Anti-Terrorism Proclamation, including members of the opposition groups, journalists, peaceful protesters, and others seeking to express their rights to freedom of assembly or expression. We are developing a coordinated response in concert with international partners to consider how best to raise our concerns with the Government of Ethiopia on the continued detention of opposition leaders like Bekele Gerba.

Ethiopia: Detainees

Lord Judd: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of conditions faced by detainees in Maekalawi prison in Ethiopia.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We do not have access to Maekalawi prison and, therefore, are not in a position to make an assessment of the conditions within the prison. However, we are aware of the allegations contained in the Human Rights Watch 2013 report titled “They Want a Confession” and the subsequent response from the Government of Ethiopia to the report. Through our bilateral relationship with Ethiopia we will continue to lobby the government on the treatment of high-profile political prisoners, some of who are detained at Maekalawi prison.

Ethiopia: Torture

Lord Judd: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the prevalence of torture in Ethiopia.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We continue to be concerned about allegations of torture in Ethiopia made by organisations such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International in relation to people detained under the Anti-Terrorism Proclamation. Those include members of the opposition groups, journalists, peaceful protestors, and others seeking to express their rights to freedom of assembly or expression. We continually monitor and assess a range of human rights issues in Ethiopia, including allegations of torture. We continue to make representations to the Government of Ethiopia on individual cases as well as more broadly through our Human Rights Dialogue. We also support the continued human rights discussions between international partners and the Government of Ethiopia.

Russia: Press Freedom

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they are making to the government of Russia about alleged state interference in the affairs of the RBC newspaper and news service; and whether they will make public any responses received.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The British Government has not made any specific representations to the Russian Federation regarding the dismissal of three editors of Russian newspaper RBK on 13 May. However the Minister for Europe, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Aylesbury (Mr Lidington), did raise our broader concerns about the suppression of civil society in Russia with his counterpart Deputy Minister Titov in December 2015. As set out in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Human Rights Report, the UK is deeply concerned about the reducing space for dissenting views and the increasing pressure on the media community in Russia.

Somalia: Kenya

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their policy regarding Somali refugees in Kenya and the presence of Kenyan armed forces in Somalia.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The Government recognises the significant burden that the Government of Kenya faces in housing a large number of Somali refugees. We encourage the Government of Kenya to maintain its global leadership role on this issue as well as its international obligations. We, and the international community, support the continued dialogue with the Government of Somalia and the Tripartite agreement which provides a legal framework for the voluntary repatriation of Somali refugees.We strongly support Kenyan troops deployed to Somalia as part of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM). AMISOM has made important progress against Al Shabaab since 2007, who continue to pose a significant terrorist threat in Somali and the region. We greatly value the contribution made by Kenya and the other troop contributing countries, and recognise the sacrifices that the Kenyan Defence Forces are making.

Bosnia and Herzegovina: Religious Buildings

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their response to the recent reconstruction and reopening of the Ferhadija Mosque in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The Government warmly welcomes the reopening of the Ferhadija Mosque, which took place on 7 May. This is an unmistakable symbol of religious diversity and tolerance in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The atmosphere during the reopening ceremony, which our Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina attended, was dignified and celebratory. The Ferhadija Mosque will serve as a powerful symbol of how communities can support each other on the long journey towards reconciliation.

Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

Tickets: Sales

Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will publish all of the responses received by the review relating to secondary ticketing required by section 94 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The Government plans to publish responses to the Call for Evidence in due course.

Tickets: Sales

Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will lay the report relating to secondary ticketing before Parliament on the same date that it is published, and not later than Thursday 26 May, in accordance with section 94 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: My Rt. Hon Friends, the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport laid the report today.

Measurement

Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what enforcement action local weights and measures authorities in Great Britain have undertaken under Chapter 15 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 since it came into force on 27 May 2015.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: This information is not held centrally.

Tickets: Sales

Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action in respect of the secondary ticketing market has been taken since Chapter 15 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 came into force by (1) the Competition and Markets Authority, and (2) the National Trading Standards Board.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: This information is not held centrally.

Universities: Construction

Lord Marlesford: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the proposed locations and planned commencement dates of construction for the establishment of new universities referred to in the Queen's Speech.

Baroness Evans of Bowes Park: Government is legislating to increase choice and competition in the higher education sector. These measures will enable the establishment of high-quality new universities where there is a need in terms of student and employer demand.

Department for Education

Academies: Fraud

Lord Grocott: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Nash on 10 May (HL8227), how many allegations of fraud in respect of academies and free schools there were in (1) 2013–14, and (2) 2014–15.

Lord Nash: As stated in the answer to PQ HL8227, the Education Funding Agency does not classify allegations into fraud or other forms of irregularity until they have been investigated. The number of fraud allegations cannot therefore be isolated from other allegations of irregularity.

Perry Beeches Academy Trust

Lord Grocott: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they have taken during the last 12 months in respect of the Perry Beeches academy chain.

Lord Nash: During the last 12 months the Education Funding Agency (EFA) has investigated Perry Beeches The Academy Trust and found serious weaknesses in financial management and governance. The investigations resulted in the EFA issuing the trust with a Financial Notice to Improve (FNtI) on 8 March 2016, which is attached and can be found on GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/financial-notice-to-improve-perry-beeches-the-academy-trust The EFA also published two investigation reports into the trust which are published on GOV.UK. The first report, ‘Financial management and governance review: Perry Beeches The Academy Trust’ is attached and can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/financial-management-and-governance-review-perry-beeches-the-academy-trust.The second report, ‘Investigation report: Perry Beeches The Academy Trust.’ is attached and can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/investigation-report-perry-beeches-the-academy-trust   We will continue to monitor the trust’s progress towards meeting the requirements set out in the FNtI and if we do not see significant improvement we will not hesitate to take further action. This is one of the key strengths of free schools and academies – when we spot failure we can take far swifter action than would happen in other schools. Perry Beeches IV (a secondary free school, for children aged 11-19 years, which opened in September 2014) and Perry Beeches V (an all through free school, for children aged 4-19 years, which opened in September 2015) have received routine visits from Department for Education advisers to monitor educational performance and provide support. Perry Beeches III (a secondary free school, for children aged 11-19 years, which opened in September 2013) has received more extensive education adviser support because it was placed in special measures in May 2015.



Financial_Notice_to_Improve_Perry_Beeches
(PDF Document, 189.31 KB)




Financial_management_and_governance_review
(PDF Document, 527.59 KB)




Investigation_report_Perry_Beeches
(PDF Document, 406.02 KB)

Ministry of Defence

Armed Conflict: Hazardous Substances

Lord Eames: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have for the removal of toxic waste left after conflict, in particular in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Earl Howe: The Ministry of Defence has a legal obligation to comply with UK and EU legislation on environmental protection. A policy statement made by the Secretary of State for Defence (Michael Fallon) in August 2014, 'Health, Safety and Environmental Protection in Defence' (HS&EP), states that "overseas we apply our UK arrangements where reasonably practicable and, in addition, respond to host nations' relevant HS&EP expectations." This policy statement can be accessed at the gov.uk website:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/secretary-of-states-policy-statement-on-safety-health-environmental-protection-and-sustainable-developmentUK forces overseas operate under NATO regulations and therefore must also comply with 'STANAG 7141 - Joint NATO Doctrine for Environmental Protection During NATO-led Military Activities', which sets out the environmental planning guidelines for military activities.Following withdrawal from both the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, clean up of hazardous materials was carried out as far as practicable in accordance with relevant legislation.



H&S and Environmental Protection in Defence
(PDF Document, 98.76 KB)

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Racoon Dogs

Lord Blencathra: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what information they have collected on the number of racoon dogs in the UK; whether they have any plans to ban the ownership of racoon dogs outside licensed zoos; and what action they plan to take to exterminate any in the wild.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: No data is collected on the number of raccoon dogs in the UK.There are currently no plans to ban the ownership of this species inside or outside licensed zoos.It is currently an offence under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 to release a raccoon dog, or allow one to escape, into the wild. If an animal were to escape it would first be the responsibility of the owner to recapture the animal. If, however, there was a threat that the species were to become established in the wild, action would be undertaken to capture and remove the animals in accordance with a draft rapid response protocol currently being prepared as part of the GB non-native species strategy.

Countryside: Access

Lord Patten: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Gardiner of Kimble on 29 April (HL7749), whether they have identified any prospective disadvantages of the Right to Roam policy; and if so, what those disadvantages are.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: The Government has not identified any prospective disadvantages of the right of access for open-air recreation on foot on open country (mountain, moor, heath and down) and registered common land which is provided for under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000. The Act was passed by a previous Government after public consultation and an appraisal of a number of options for increasing access to land where access had not been allowed before. The legislation was therefore framed so that the right of access over such areas was carefully balanced against the needs of land managers, businesses and wildlife. Areas such as houses and their gardens, and buildings or their curtilage, are automatically exempt from the right of access to avoid intrusion on people’s privacy even where they fall within land which appears on a map of open access land. The open access regime also includes general restrictions at the national level that exclude specific potentially damaging activities from the right of access and controls on people walking with dogs. To supplement these, local temporary restrictions on the right of access may be put in place to limit where people go or what they do, if it is necessary to protect against the harm that any access may cause to sensitive landscape or wildlife habitat, public safety or the ability of landowners to manage their land.

Rights of Way

Lord Patten: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Gardiner of Kimble on 29 April (HL7747), whether the regulations regarding rights of way provisions that will be subject to affirmative resolution will also be subject to any further public consultation.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: The changes to the public path order regime that the Government is introducing were part of a full public consultation carried out in May 2012. We are now implementing those changes through amendments to the Local Authorities (Recovery of Costs for Public Path Orders) Regulations 1993. We are consulting further with both the Stakeholder Working Group and local authorities on the detail of the amendments.

Department for Communities and Local Government

Homelessness

Lord Chadlington: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have made any assessment of the Housing First policy implemented in Utah as a means to tackle homelessness.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: One person without a home is one too many which is why we have increased central investment to tackle homelessness over the next four years to £139 million.Homelessness is rarely the result of a personal housing crisis alone and we know that many rough sleepers and homeless people have complex needs, such as mental health difficulties or substance misuse, which result in poor life chances.That is why we announced at Budget 2016 that we are developing a new £10 million national Social Impact Bond programme, to help homeless people with complex needs off the streets. We want to drive innovative ways to support those with the most complex needs, including ‘Housing First’. In doing so, we will look to learn from how other countries have delivered, including the United States and elsewhere.This work forms part of our wider approach to preventing and reducing homelessness, which also includes a new £10 million rough sleeping programme and an additional £100 million of funding for move-on accommodation for those leaving hostels and refuges.

Cornish Language

Lord Teverson: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have plans to reconsider their decision to withdraw financial support for the Cornish language, and if not, under what circumstances they next intend to do so.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: Cornwall Council has a core spending power of £1.7 billion over the next four years, from which they can allocate the necessary resources to sustain and grow the use of the Cornish Language, if that is what local people want to see.

Housing and Planning Act 2016

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how far they have progressed in preparing the regulations required following the passing of the Housing and Planning Act 2016.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Housing and Planning Act 2016 received Royal Assent on 12 May 2016. Work is ongoing to develop regulations and they will be published in due course.

HM Treasury

UK Membership of EU

Lord Green of Deddington: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord O’Neill of Gatley on 6 May (HL7841), what was the actual level of UK GDP estimated in each of the three alternatives studied, and in the case of remaining in the EU.

Lord O'Neill of Gatley: HM Treasury did not produce a forecast of how big the economy would be in 15 years’ time. The analysis of the long-term economic impact of EU membership and the alternatives, provided an assessment of the difference in the size of the economy under the alternatives to EU membership for a given economic forecast. This showed that GDP would be 3.8% lower in an EEA arrangement, 6.2% lower in a negotiated bilateral agreement and 7.5% lower in a WTO arrangement. These are all central estimates.

VAT: Private Education

Lord Lexden: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to extend VAT zero-rating to building work in independent schools that do not charge VAT on school fees and are therefore not registered for VAT.

Lord O'Neill of Gatley: The construction of a new building is normally subject to the standard rate of VAT. However, the construction of buildings that are either designed as a dwelling, to be used solely for a relevant residential purpose, or to be used solely for a relevant charitable purpose may be zero-rated for VAT. This relief is available to eligible consumers and businesses regardless of their VAT registration status.

Northern Ireland Office

Belfast Agreement

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the concept of parity of esteem in the Belfast Agreement 1998 means that people living in Northern Ireland are subject to more parity of esteem than anywhere else in the UK; and if not, why not.

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether parity of esteem as established in the Belfast Agreement 1998 applies to people who live in the Republic of Ireland.

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the application of parity of esteem applies to those in jail in Northern Ireland but who have a residence elsewhere.

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether parity of esteem as established in the Belfast Agreement 1998 applies to (1) people temporarily residing in Northern Ireland, and if so for how long such people have to live there for parity of esteem to apply; and (2) people who live outside Northern Ireland but work in the province.

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the concept of parity of esteem as outlined in the Belfast Agreement 1998 applies to security service people who have a residence elsewhere but are, or were, resident in Northern Ireland for a period.

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and others who live for part of the week in Northern Ireland can avail themselves fully of parity of esteem, and if not, what parts of the concept of parity of esteem they are unable to avail themselves of.

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the concept of parity of esteem as outlined by the Belfast Agreement 1998 applies to those who march on the streets of Northern Ireland in army uniforms but are not members of the army, in the same ways as to members of the recognised security forces.

Lord Dunlop: This Government understands the concept of parity of esteem, as set out in the 1998 Belfast Agreement, as placing a general obligation on the UK Government to treat people of different traditions in Northern Ireland fairly and with equal respect. In the Agreement it is clearly expressed and defined in relation to people living in Northern Ireland.As a general obligation there is no definition of particular circumstances in which it does or does not apply. As I have set out in previous replies to the Noble Lord, this Government is firm in its commitment to the protection of people against any form of discrimination, and the promotion of opportunity for all, across the whole of our United Kingdom. In respect of the Noble Lord’s question about those who might march wearing army uniforms but who are not members of an army, the concept of parity of esteem clearly does not absolve people from upholding the law. This Government has made clear many times that we will never accept any form of equivalence between members of the security forces and those who engage in terrorism or other forms of paramilitary activity.

Belfast Agreement

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the purpose of the concept of parity of esteem as applied to Northern Ireland; and why those standards of esteem are not applied in the rest of the UK.

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty’s Government who defines parity of esteem as required by the Belfast Agreement 1998; how it is defined; whether it is possible to change the definition; and if so, how.

Lord Dunlop: ‘Parity of esteem’ is expressed and defined in the 1998 Belfast Agreement in relation to people living in Northern Ireland. That Agreement was reached following talks between the then UK Labour Government, several of Northern Ireland’s political parties – including the Ulster Unionist Party, Sinn Fein and others – and the then Irish Government. This Government sees parity of esteem as treating everybody in Northern Ireland fairly, with equal respect, just as it is committed to treating people fairly and with equal respect wherever they live in the United Kingdom.

Terrorism: Northern Ireland

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Statement by Lord Keen of Elie on 11 May (HLWS694) regarding the increasing threat from dissident Irish republicans, what plans they have to establish a means for liaising more regularly and effectively with members of both Houses of Parliament from Northern Ireland on such matters.

Lord Dunlop: A number of established mechanisms already exist for the purpose of communicating the threat from Northern Ireland-related terrorism to both Houses. These include the biannual written security statements to Parliament setting out details on threat levels, oral and written Parliamentary questions, meetings of the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee and briefing meetings with Peers and MPs. It is also open to MPs and Noble Lords to use procedures of both Houses to raise these matters and hold ministers to account.

Department of Health

Obesity

Lord Blencathra: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have any plans to make morbidly obese persons whose obesity is caused by over-eating and lack of exercise pay some or all of the cost of NHS treatment received for that condition.

Lord Prior of Brampton: There are no plans to make persons whose obesity is caused by over-eating and lack of exercise pay any of the cost of National Health Service treatment received for that condition. The NHS Constitution states in its second principle “Access to NHS services is based on clinical need, not an individual’s ability to pay. NHS services are free of charge, except in limited circumstances sanctioned by Parliament.” A copy of the NHS Constitution is attached.



NHS Constitution
(PDF Document, 568.7 KB)

Head Lice

Lord Blencathra: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what warnings and advice they intend to give to the public about the incidence of treatment-resistant head lice in the UK.

Lord Prior of Brampton: There are no plans to issue any specific warnings or advice around the incidence of treatment-resistant head lice. Guidance for the treatment of head lice is to wet comb using a head lice comb, as opposed to using insecticides.

Abscesses

Lord Blencathra: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what warnings and advice they intend to give to the public, in the light of research on the severity of community-onset boils and abscesses in the UK, published in Epidemiology and Infection in December 2014 by Laura Shallcross et al.

Lord Prior of Brampton: Public Health England (PHE) is not planning to launch any new guidance or introduce warnings in light of the study referred to in the question and any public advice now falls within the remit of NHS Choices. PHE published national guidance for the diagnosis, treatment and management of PVL-positive strains of S Aureus (PVL-SA) infections, an element of this includes the management of skin boils and abscesses caused by PVL-SA. PVL-SA are strains of a bacterium called Staphylococcus aureus that can produce a particular toxin (Panton-Valentine Luekocidin or PVL). Such strains are strongly associated with skin boils and abscesses which can be aggressive and recurrent in nature. A copy of the Guidance on the diagnosis and management of PVL-associated Staphylococcus aureus infections (PVL-SA) in England is attached. PHE produced two leaflets called Patient Information Sheet – Staphylococcus aureus and Boils and Skin Infections: Information for the Public advising individuals on boils and abscesses caused by PVL-SA in response to particular “at risk” local environments and scenarios including schools, sporting groups and military recruits. The main advice in these leaflets is information as to where PVL-SA bacteria can be found, the infections it can cause and practical advice on how patients can minimise the risk of transferring the bacteria to others and experiencing repeated infections. Copies of both leaflets are attached.



Guidance on Diagnosis
(PDF Document, 2.27 MB)




Boils and skin infection leaflet
(PDF Document, 167.25 KB)




PVL Patient Leaflet
(PDF Document, 77.91 KB)

Prisoners: Mental Illness

The Earl of Sandwich: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what proportion of (1) prisoners, and (2) young offenders, suffer from mental health problems; and of those, how many suffer from (a) illegal drug addiction, and (b) prescribed drug dependence.

Lord Prior of Brampton: 72% of adult male prisoners and 71% of adult female prisoners may have two or more mental disorders including personality disorder, psychosis, anxiety, depression or substance misuse according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). According to the cross-government report Healthy Children, Safer Communities (2009), more than one third of people held in the children and young people’s secure estate, including those held in young offender institutions, have diagnosed mental health disorders. A copy of this report is attached. The ONS also reports that about 55% of individuals entering prison have a drug problem. Data on prescribed drug dependence in prisons is not collected centrally.



Healthy Children, Safer Communities 
(PDF Document, 5.48 MB)

Clostridium

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to ensure that NICE guidance is followed in the use of faecal microbiota transplants in the treatment of recurrent Clostridium difficile.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to ensure that NICE guidance is followed in the use of faecal microbiota transplants in the treatment of recurrent Clostridium difficile infections.

Lord Prior of Brampton: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has produced guidance on faecal microbiota transplant for recurrent Clostridium difficile infection under the interventional procedure programme. This programme makes recommendations about the safety of the procedures and how well they work. However the guidance does not constitute a direction to National Health Service trusts to provide the interventions. Decisions about whether to provide a treatment are taken locally.

Clostridium

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the outcome and cost effectiveness of the use of faecal microbiota transplants in the treatment of recurrent Clostridium difficile infections.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the rate of uptake by the NHS of faecal microbiota transplants in the treatment of recurrent Clostridium difficile infections.

Lord Prior of Brampton: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has produced guidance on faecal microbiota transplant for recurrent Clostridium difficile infection. NICE has recommended that the procedure is safe enough for use in the National Health Service, but no assessment of its cost effectiveness has been made by NICE. Data on the uptake by the NHS of faecal microbiota transplants in the treatment of recurrent Clostridium difficile is not collected centrally.

Health Services: Refugees

Lord Empey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what estimate they have made of the mental and other health services that will be needed to assist the unaccompanied children who will be brought to the UK from refugee camps (1) in Europe, and (2) outside Europe.

Lord Empey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the arrival of unaccompanied children from refugee camps (1) in Europe, and (2) outside Europe, on waiting lists for mental and other health services.

Lord Empey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many additional staff are being recruited to attend to and treat unaccompanied children coming to the UK from refugee camps (1) in Europe, and (2) outside Europe.

Lord Prior of Brampton: The United Kingdom has been operating resettlement schemes for many years and we already have established and effective networks to accommodate and support resettled people. The increase in numbers will require an expansion of current networks and the impact on local communities and infrastructure will need to be managed carefully. That is why we are working with a wide range of partners to ensure that people are integrated sensitively into local communities and that we have the right support in place for unaccompanied refugee children who arrive in the UK from Europe whilst ensuring we fulfil our obligations to children who are already in the UK. The guidance, Statutory Guidance on Promoting the Health and Well-being of Looked After Children, sets out the health duties for local authorities, clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) and NHS England. The guidance sets out that local authorities and the National Health Service should take account any particular needs of the child, including if they are unaccompanied asylum seekers. This guidance is attached. Whilst there are a range of health care professionals, for example youth workers and teachers, who deliver interventions and support for children and young people with mental health conditions, clinical need should be determined by a specialist initial assessment in line with guidance produced by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Local areas have published Local Transformation Plans that set out how mental health services will be delivered for their population. As part of their plans, local areas were asked to set out how they planned to meet the needs of more vulnerable groups, including unaccompanied refugee and asylum seeking children (UASC). NHS England ensures that all commissioners of health services have appropriate arrangements and resources in place to meet the physical, emotional and mental health needs of looked-after children, including UASC. They will work with local commissioners to raise awareness of the Resettlement Programme and highlight the additional numbers of children who will require their attention and support. Decisions about the resources needed to meet the mental health and other health needs of all children and young people, including UASC, are taken at a local level by CCGs. This may include decisions to recruit additional staff where necessary.



Statutory Guidance Promoting Health Children
(PDF Document, 873.84 KB)